Over €26 billion in investment funds available to Irish medtech start-ups set to pitch at global conference

Irish companies among over 40 med tech start-ups to pitch for VC funding at global conference

Medtech investors and start-ups, and some of the world’s top corporates will gather in Dublin this week at The Medtech Strategist Innovation Summit 2017 which will see over 40 medtech start-ups pitch for funding from venture capital firms with over €26 billion in funds under management.

Supported by EY, Seroba Life Sciences, Enterprise Ireland and ICON among others, the event will take place from 25-27th April, and will bring together venture capital firms seeking new opportunities to invest in the burgeoning medtech sector, with emerging start-ups seeking investment and partnership. A number of the world’s top corporates will also attend, including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Baxter, as well as both global and local VCs such as Fountain Healthcare Partners, Lightstone Ventures and Sofinnova Partners – underlining Dublin’s growing prominence as a central hub for the industry globally.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Aidan Meagher, Partner and Head of Life Sciences at EY, said: “The medtech sector in Ireland is thriving, as evidenced by the fact that 18 of the world’s top 25 medical technology companies have a base in Ireland. With a host of new start-ups emerging every year and a significant opportunity on the horizon for Ireland in the shape of Brexit, affording this entrepreneurial community the opportunity to get in front of some of the world’s leading medtech investors is key, so that they can access the funding to bring their business to the next stage.”

“This year’s conference will see even more medtech business leaders and innovators gather in Dublin than ever before, demonstrating that Ireland is punching well above its weight on the global medtech stage. This is thanks to investment in key locations for innovation such as Galway which has established itself as the fourth largest incubation hub in the world for the medical devices sector – something which is no mean feat for a small country and further highlights Ireland’s position as a hub for medtech globally,” added Aidan.

Irish medtech companies who will pitch to VCs during the conference include Mainstay Medical, which is developing an implant to treat people with chronic lower back pain, Ponce De Leon Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a product formulation aimed at postponing the onset of human frailty and the extension of human lifespan, and Galway-based Loci Orthopaedics, that has developed a novel orthopaedic implant for the treatment of thumb base arthritis, a condition which affects over 5% of the population.
Speakers at the event will include Vicki Anastasi, VP and Global Head of Medical Device and Diagnostics Research at ICON Plc, and John Babitt, Americas Medtech Leader for EY who will present on Trends Shaping the Global MedTech Industry.